From its beginnings, the Christian faith has contributed to a de-deification of the world by insisting on the distinction between creator (God) and creation (world). A Christian life orientation is not necessarily couched in terms of the religious vs. the secular but overcomes that difference by being oriented towards the ultimate presence of the divine (God). Ingolf U. Dalferth explores the basic distinctions required for this orientation towards the presence of transcendence in human life beyond the alternative of the religious and the secular.

On theological grounds, Ingolf U. Dalferth argues the case for taking a critical stance towards the current leave-taking of secularization and the fashionable proclamation of a new post-secular religious epoch. Right from the start, the Christian faith has made a decisive contribution to the secularization of the world, the criticism of religion, religions and religiosity. Christian faith is concerned with God's presence in all areas of life, often beyond the usual religious forms and in distinction towards them. The orientation towards this ultimate presence and therefore towards antecedent transcendence in the immanence of a secular world leaves the alternative between religious and non-religious life behind. In this work, the author examines the new distinctions which this Christian life orientation demands.

Autorentext
Born 1948; 1977 Promotion; 1982 Habilitation; Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology, Symbolism and Philosophy of Religion at the University of Zurich; Danforth Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Religion at Claremont Graduate University in California; Fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa.